


I don't need help

by FearfulKitten



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Batbrothers (DCU), Batbrothers (DCU) Bonding, Batfamily (DCU), Because if canon won't do this then I will, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I just really want them to be happy okay?, It's Dick being the best big bro ever, Light Angst, very light angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24712132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FearfulKitten/pseuds/FearfulKitten
Summary: Damian has a cut on his back and tried to take care of it by himself, like usual. But Grayson was home that night and, well, Grayson is having none of that "I don't need help" crap.Basically a "Is this OUR stab wound? Stay out of it." inspired fic. I also think I may have seen something like this in the past that inspired me to do my take on it, but I can't remember where.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Comments: 21
Kudos: 215





	I don't need help

Damian can’t lie, he is fully aware he should ask for help. Or allow others to help him. But he has been patching himself up ever since Talia showed him how to do it. After that she’d just toss him some bandages and other medical supplies after training, and he’d be off to cover the cuts he got during battle. He’s used to it by now, it’s easy for the most part. However, a cut on your back is very hard to treat by yourself.

It’s not impossible, Damian managed to do it plenty of times on his own before his permanent teeth had grown, but it's definetly hard. He was squirming in front of the mirror in his bathroom, trying to clean it properly when he knocked down an entire shelf of hair and facial products.

Usually he wouldn’t worry. His father and Alfred both know better than to worry about every noise Damian made; he made it quite clear that he could take care of himself from day one, and Tim was usually too emerged in his work to care about anything that didn’t yell his name. Today, however, Damian cringed at the sound.

Because Grayson was visiting.

And Dick Grayson heard everything in the house.

And he insisted on finding the source of the noises.

And he also insisted on not letting Damian tend to his wounds on his own.

So it took about fifteen seconds for him to hear a knock on his bedroom door.

“Dames, are you alright in there?” He asked “What are you up to?” Damian didn’t respond. He didn’t even breath. Hopefully the silence would drive him away. “I’m coming in, okay?” Damnit. At the position he stood, he could get a full view of the situation. A shirtless, blood-covered Damian surrounded by a bunch of different fallen products. “Why am I not surprised?” He asked, more to himself than to the boy.

“I’m fine Grayson,” The boy started “Leave me alone, I can handle myself fine.”

“You are _bleeding_ from your _back_.” Dick said “It’s ridiculous not to ask for help at this point Damian.” He stepped in and closed the door behind him, walking towards the bathroom.

“I stopped the bleeding already.” Damian complained as he watched the other getting closer. “And that sentence makes you sound like an eight-grader.”

“You can ask for help you know? I’m your brother, that’s what I’m supposed to do. Besides, _you_ are an eight-grader, so shut it.”

“I don’t _need_ help.”

“Sure you don’t.” Dick lead him into the tub by his shoulders “I don’t _need_ oreos either, but they make my life much better.”

Damian mumbled something about how those are not comparable in the slightest, but gives in and decides to let Dick help. Just this once.

“There’s a lot of blood around it, I’ll start by cleaning it, okay?”

“You don’t have to describe me the first aid steps, Grayson. I know what...”

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t care.” Dick shot back. “I was letting you know because I’m nice and I don’t want the water to startle you. So stay still.”

“-tt-.” Damian heard the water running through the mobile shower head, and Dick waited untill it reached a nice enough temperature to direct it at his back. Even though the contact with water made the cut burn, Damian couldn’t help noticing how much gentler Dick was being with him than _he_ usually was on himself. He’d just turn on the cold water and go to town, not caring much if the soap went into the wound or if the cold water left him shivering for five minutes after he was done, wanting to finish it fast.

His brother, on the other hand, had waited for the water to warm up and asked him if the temperature was okay before cleaning around it with soap. And somehow, the same calloused hands Damian saw grasping escrima sticks with such experience, grace and violence, were incredibly careful and delicate while washing his back. It still hurt, of course; it was a big, painful wound after all, but it was a much better treatment than he gave himself.

Much better than he felt he deserved.

“Okay, that’s good enough.” Dick said, turning off the water and picking up a towel, the softest he could find. He patted it dry, apologizing everytime Damian winced. “It looks like it’s gonna need stitches. Hang on, let me...” He reached for an antiseptic spray by the sink. Damian hissed as Dick applied it over the wound. “Sorry.”

“I’ts fine.”

“Do you have any anesthetics here?” Dick asked.

“I don’t need them.” He answered, frowning.

“Are you sure?”

“ _Yes_.”

“It’s not comfortable.”

“I’m aware. Get on with it.”

After that, he got up and reached for the kit the younger boy had brought to the bathroom, picking up the needle and stitching his brother’s back. The smaller boy grunted as the needle pierced his skin.

“How did you even get such a huge cut here anyways?” Grayson asked.

“Apparently, I’m not the only one in Gotham who takes a sword to a gun fight.” Damian answered, making the man chuckle.

When he was done sewing his brother’s skin, he applied some antibiotic oinment to the wound and placed some bandages over it, sealing the area.

“I’ll have to shower soon Grayson, there’s no point in doing this now.”

“Yeah, but I know you’re gonna fall asleep for a couple of hours before that, so I see no harm in waisting some additional bandage and medicine.” He replied, still carefully wrapping up Damian’s injury. “Also, you’re not taking care of this alone.” He added “Promise me you’ll call for me when you need to change bandages, and that means _both_ taking them out _and_ putting them back.”

“Grayson, please, I’m not a _child_. I can at least change my own bandages.”

“You _are_ a child.” Dick said. “And it’s not about being capable or not. If you move around too much, the stitches may burst and then all my hard work is down the drain, so no squirming to reach it. I’ll be around, just say my name Dames.”

The boy went quiet. Not because he was going to reject Grayson’s request, but because he was left speechless by how kindly he was being treated. He’s been with them for so long, yet he still isn’t used to being actually taken care of in such a gentle way. He wasn’t being patched up in a hurry, surrounded by uncomfortable silence because he wasn’t able to do it himself, he was being taken care of by his big brother, who didn’t expect anything from him other than the permission to help. His heart tightened in his chest.

“Promise me Dames.” Dick asked as he finished his job.

“I promise.” He said weakly.

As they both got up, Damian found himself doing something so rare he was almost afraid his brother would think he had been replaced by a clone. Damian hugged Dick, grabbing his waist and burying his face on his chest, eyes a little teary. Dick placed his hands on Damian’s head, petting his hair in an attempt to hug back without disrupting the newly treated injury on his back.

“Thanks.” Damian mumbled into his shirt.

“No problem Dames.” He said, placing a kiss on the boy's scalp. “Get some rest, okay?”

“Okay.” He answered, rubbing his eyes as they separated.

...

“Hey, B?” Dick called, walking into the kitchen “I know I said I’d leave in the morning, but would it be okay if I stayed for a while?”

“Of course.” Bruce answered, setting down his glass of water “It’s a pleasure to have you around the house. For how long do you plan on staying?"

“Um...” He scratched the back of his neck “Maybe like... Two or three weeks?” Bruce raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve never figured you’d take any pleasure in staying at the manor for so long. Not that I’m unhappy about it, obviously, but is there a reason for the prolongued stay?” He asked, a bit concerned “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, no, everything’s fine.” Dick rested a shoulder on the wall “It’s Damian. You know how he never wants you or Alfred to patch him up?” Bruce nodded “Well, he has a cut on his back, a pretty big one. I gave him stitches, but he’s gonna need help to change the bandages and I made him promise he wouldn’t do it alone, or the stitches would burst open.”

“So what you’re telling me,” Bruce starts, a small hint of a smile creeping in his mouth “Is that you managed to give Damian stitches?” Dick nodded “And that you’re staying to make sure he will be okay?”

“Basically, yes.” Dick stated. Bruce dropped his head, and the younger man couldn’t see the expression on his face. He crossed his arms and straightned his posture “Is there a... Problem? With me staying, that is?”

“There’s no problem at all Dick,” Bruce’s smile grew a little wider, looking up at his son “I’m proud of you, that’s all.” He walked past Dick, pressing his shoulders lightly as he left the kitchen “Also,” He kept going “You do realize you don’t have to ask to stay right? This is your home. For life.”

“Yeah, I know just... Good manners.” Dick scratched his neck again, voice strained.

“Okay.” Bruce smiled at him “Goodnight son.”

“Goodnight.” He smiled back.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it! English is not my first language and I don't have a beta reader, so if I made any mistakes, feel free to point them out, hahahaha. Any criticism is welcome.
> 
> If you enjoyed this fic and want to send me a request for another one or for headcannons or whatever, I have a tumblr @fearfulkittenwrites go say hello! I'd be more than happy to write for you <3.


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